My Week on the £8.86 Challenge
Hello, my name is Chris! I’ve been volunteering with AARC for a few months and last week I decided to take on the £8.86 Challenge!
Why? Very good question! That’s the amount people seeking asylum in the UK receive each week to live on. It’s not much at all, and for someone like me who loves a takeaway or the occasional meal out, it was a real eye-opener. I decided to take on this challenge not just for the personal experience but to raise awareness and funds for AARC, who are a special wee charity that work tirelessly in the Aberdeen area to support people who arrive here with absolutely nothing. AARC does an incredible job of responding to immediate needs - from toiletries and shoes to warm clothing – and reminding those who have fled traumatic situations that good people still exist in the world.
Forewarned is forearmed as they say, so I let all of my family and colleagues know that I might be feeling a bit ‘hangry’ come Thursday, but that their sponsorship would be very much appreciated and go a long way to support AARC’s work.
So, without further ado, here’s my diary/survival guide.
Day 1: Friday
So, there I was, all ready to jump in the car and dash to the supermarket when my partner pipes up and says, “That’s cheating, you need to walk!” Brilliant. Now, apparently, I’ve got someone policing my £8.86 challenge. So off I trudged, 3 miles to Lidl and 3 miles back. Six miles for some veg - fantastic.
Anyway, let me tell you about my new discovery at Lidl: the ‘Too Good to Waste’ fruit and veg box. For just £1.50, you get around 5kg of fruit and veg that’s still perfectly good to eat. It’s like a treasure chest! So, thanks to my unexpected trek, I bagged a bargain and even managed to do my bit for reducing food waste. It did however start raining on my return trip so you can imagine my humour by the time I made it home.
I’d had porridge for breakfast and a mug-shot for lunch so non-curry veggie curry ( < I couldn’t afford the curry powder) with rice for dinner was delightful!
Day 2: Saturday
Reality hit me hard today. I woke up to porridge made with water – no milk, no sugar – and let’s just say it wasn’t exactly a five-star breakfast. I took the dog out for a walk in the afternoon, which was a good distraction from the gnawing hunger. I’m thinking ‘keep busy’ is the trick to this!
Dinner was beans on toast, and I realised I was already missing flavour in my meals. The novelty of the challenge was wearing off fast, but the thought of people sponsoring me kept me going.
Day 3: Sunday
Sunday dinner is a big deal in my house. I love cooking, and Sundays are usually a time for friends and family to come together for a roast, some laughs, and good conversation. OK OK, maybe a drop of wine too. But this week, there was no roast in sight. Instead, I whipped up a vegetable soup with my supplies, which was actually not bad. I should make soup more often!
As I sat there, I couldn’t help but think about how isolating it must be for people seeking asylum, staying in temporary accommodation or hotels, with little more than a kettle, unable to gather for social meals. The loneliness of missing out on something as simple as a Sunday dinner, especially when you’re far from home, really hit me. Living like this for much longer than just a week would be incredibly hard.
Day 4: Monday
Back to work! I don’t have much by way of energy today, so I’m very glad that the commute is short (I work from home). Porridge for breakfast again (I’m getting real creative with oats, let me tell you). By lunchtime, I was well and truly tired of rice, and even more tired of feeling hungry. I’ve never spent so much time thinking about food and realised how prone I am to snacking during the day! The challenge was really starting to test my patience, and I could see how it would be hard to stay positive on such a limited budget.
Day 5: Tuesday
Craving something – anything – that wasn’t rice or pasta, I tried to spice things up (not literally, because I couldn’t afford to buy spices!). Dinner was a basic pasta dish, but it was filling, at least. I was getting more donations from friends and colleagues today, which gave me a bit of a boost. Thanks to everyone supporting me – you’re helping me stick it out!
Day 6: Wednesday
By now, the £8.86 challenge was really taking its toll. No snacks, no treats, just plain, bland meals. I felt drained and more than a little grumpy. It really gave me a glimpse into what people seeking asylum must feel like day in, day out, knowing that this tiny amount is all they have. It’s more than just the food – it’s the lack of choice, the isolation, and the constant worry about money.
Day 7:
The finish line is in sight! The last of my supplies went towards one final meal – a sad little portion of rice and beans. But hey, I did it! I managed to survive the week on £8.86, and though I’m beyond relieved it’s over, I’m glad I took on the challenge. It’s given me a new appreciation for what people seeking asylum go through and why the work we do at AARC is so important.
I should point out here that most people seeking asylum who are living on £8.86 are accommodated in hotels where they receive three square meals and that the purpose of the challenge is to illustrate how little £8.86 is for everything else. For example:
FirstBus two-way journey - £4.90 (55% of Challenge Budget)
.Morrisons 4 pint of milk - £1.45 (16% of Challenge Budget)
Tesco 6 eggs - £1.85 (21% of Challenge Budget)
You get the idea - those seeking asylum don’t have very much left for anything - there’s no room for luxuries, there’s even any room for things like a bus fare to do volunteering at the other side of the city. All of this contributes to isolation, loneliness and poor mental health.
Taking on this challenge was tough, but it’s nothing compared to the reality faced by those living on this amount an indefinite period while waiting for their asylum claims to be processed.
I’ll finish with a huge thank you to everyone who sponsored me – your support means a lot to me and the money will be used to support AARC’s front-line work.